Please read my email again.
I said, "If a need truly exists in, or a desire is expressed from, the Homestead Valley community for a dedicated pedestrian pathway"
Wouldn't you rather put your tax dollars toward something that will benefit the majority of HV residents, than use it to renovate the HVCA clubhouse on the FALSE claim that it is not ADA accessible? Where is proof of a lawsuit?
Sincerely,
Mari
On Nov 30, 2010, at 4:39 PM, Charlessands wrote:
MARI,ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIMND ???USE OUR TAX DOLLARS TO BUILD A SIDEWALK SO MARIN HORIZON SCHOOL CAN COMLPLY WITH ITS USE PERMIT.ARNE PLANT IS CORRECT.GET RID OF MARIN HORIZON SCHOOL'S TRAFFIC GETS RID OF ANY NEED FOR ANY SIDEWALK.LET'S ATTACK THE CAUSE OF THE TRAFFIC ... MARIN HORIZON SCHOOL ... NOT THE RESULT ..MARIN HORIZON SCHOOL WANTS A SIDEWALK TO PROTECT ITS STUDENTS FROM ITS TRAFFIC.-----Original Message-----
From: Mari Tamburo
To: Steven Kinsey <skinsey@co.marin.ca.us>
Cc: Liza Crosse <lcrosse@co.marin.ca.us>; descobar <descobar@co.marin.ca.us>; Farhad Mansourian <fmansourian@co.marin.ca.us>; HEAR US <hearus@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Tue, Nov 30, 2010 3:46 pm
Subject: Proposed Evergreen Pedestrian/Bicycle "Parkway" Build and Maintenance Funding Solution
Dear Supervisor Kinsey :I would like to propose another alternative to the current Evergreen "sidewalk or no sidewalk" dilemma. If a need truly exists in, or a desire is expressed from, the Homestead Valley community for a dedicated pedestrian pathway, chances are a more context sensitive design will be more easily accepted by the community.
If funding for a more "context sensitive design" that fits within the guidelines of the TAM plan, cannot be funded from SR2S, as DPW has stated, maybe the design AND the funding should originate from Homestead Valley.Perhaps the answer to this funding dilemma is right here in Homestead Valley's new CSA 14 parcel tax?The funding is coming from our tax dollars one way or the other, isn't it?And if this SR2S funding opportunity is SO restrictive, that it has to be THIS sidewalk or nothing, then perhaps this could be a good solution for all stake holders.
Please consider this : the Land Trust Board already maintains other pedestrian trails, in our open space. With increased funding, the Land Trust Board could work with property owners to help clear the right of way along Evergreen - and come up with a pedestrian and bicyclist friendly design more fitting with our semi rural aesthetic. Together, as a community, we can build a pedestrian and bicycle "parkway" along Evergreen (and if necessary, adjoining streets.) If wiling, the Land Trust Board could then include "maintenance of pedestrian and bicycle parkways" in their mission.
The point I'm trying to make here is, if Evergreen is destined to be modified to encourage more use by pedestrians and bicyclists, then let's please figure out how to do it gradually, from within the community, with a "context sensitive design" that is environmentally responsible. http://www.hvbeat.org/2010/11/what-exactly-is-context-sensitive.html
Since the parcel tax was adopted for perpetuity, and 60% equates to more than $80,000 per year, that is more than enough to maintain 2000' of pedestrian "parkway."
Perhaps we can also work together to build and maintain a pathway to connect Linden Lane and Montford, or explore other ways to improve safety at that intersection.
What steps do we need to make as a community, to revise the parcel tax distribution to give a larger portion of the parcel tax revenue to the Land Trust Board?
I understand that 60% of the parcel tax was originally intended to maintain the Community Center, but maybe the HVCA Board, when originally drafting this tax, did not understand all the implications of this currently proposed concrete sidewalk and how it would be so vehemently opposed by the community.And since some members of the HVCA Board feel so strongly about having a pedestrian path along Evergreen, and some feel that this is such an urgent matter, I don't see why they wouldn't be willing to wait a little longer to fix up the Community Center.
After all, if the HVCC is already ADA accessible enough to be used as a polling place for a national election, how urgent is the need to renovate it?I'm sure a larger portion of Homestead Valley residents use Evergreen and Montford Avenues than use the Community Center anyway, so let's use OUR Homestead Valley tax dollars to increase safety for pedestrians along the gateway to Homestead Valley - as it will truly be a benefit to the majority of our Homestead Valley residents.Please also consider that the parcel tax passed by a very slim margin, and since less than half of eligible voters participated in that vote, only 32% of the residents of Homestead Valley actively voted in favor of the new tax. With proper community outreach, we can easily bring about a revision.
Thanks in advance for your consideration. I look forward to your reply.
Sincerely,Mari Tamburo
Mari TamburoNavigatordrive@avehicleforchange.org